Eyeglass-chain reel.



O. B. WEDELL.

EYEGLASS CHAIN REEL. APPLICATION FILED JULY13, 1912.

Patented June 1, 1915.

WIIIIIIIIIIJI III/I111: 4

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTD-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D.

OTTO LB. WEDELL, 0F ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

EYEGLASS-CHAIN REEL.

specifieationof Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Application filed July 13, 1912. Serial No. 709,185.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO B. WEDELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Eyeglass-Chain Reels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to'provide an improved eye-glass holder of the nature of a chain reel having in some respects a more stable bearing for the reel. and a more compact and secure construction than devices heretofore common.

It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an axial section of a reel embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a section at the line, 2,-2, on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section at the line, 3,3, on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail rear side elevation of the device showing the mode of securing the attaching pin. Fig. 5 is a detail section at the line 5,5, on Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a detail section at the line 6,6, on Fig. 3.

The structure shown in the drawings comprises a casing consisting of a cupped front element, 1, and a flanged back plate, 2, said back plate having a cylindrical flange, 2*, formed upon it by infolding upon itself at a short distance inward from the outer circumference the blank from which such back plate is formed, as seen at 2 and folding and stretching off into cylindrical form at right angles to the blank, a portion to form said flange, 2 The cupped front member, 1, is designed to make a snug telescopic fit outside of the flange, 2, as seen in Fig. 1, the casing being separable at this point, but the parts being nevertheless held securely enough to prevent accidental separation. The back plate has a central aperture, 2, counter-bored at the inner side to seat and center with respect to it a shaft bearing block, 3, which is circular in form except that it has a notch, 3 in its periphery, said notch extending through a segment ofsomething less than 90 of the circumference of the block and terminating at one end abruptly,that is, so that its end is approximately radial with respect to the block, and from that end sloping off in the direction of a chord of a segment, as seen in Fig. 2. The block, 3, is made rigid with the back plate, 2, being soldered in the counterbore around the central aperture, 2 of said back plate, and it is itself centrally apertured to afford one bearing for the barrel shaft, 4. The barrel comprises the peripheral channel portion, 5, in which the chain is wound and the circular web, 6, which is made of sheet metal having struck up at its center an annular flange, 6, constituting a hub which is the inner boundary of the spring chamber, said chamber comprising the annular space between said flange, 6 and the inner circumference of the channel member, 5, of the barrel. Said flange, 6, is of such inner diameter as to fit tightly upon the shaft, 4, which thus rotates with the barrel as an integral part thereof. The total dimension of the web, 6, in the direction of the axis of the barrel,that is, the length of the hub flange, 6 is about half the width of the barrel and there is thus left between the block, 3, and the inner circumference of the barrel an annular chamber. This chamber is occupied by a plate, 9, circular in form, and fitting tightly within the drum so as to operate as integral therewith, and having a central aperture, 9, which receives the bearing block, 3, the latter fitting loosely therein so that the drum rotates without friction of the plate, 9, on said block, 3. Said'plate 9, has leading from its central aperture in which the hearing block, 3, is situated, diametrically-op posite recesses forming pockets, 9, which are each of such dimensions as to accommodate one of the locking tumblers, 7, which are initially lodged in said pockets and are of suitable diameter to pass out of the pockets into the notch, 3 of the block, 3, when, as the barrel revolves, said pockets in turn come around to that notch. The plate, 9, is cut away at one corner of each of said notches, as seen at 9 to form a face concave toward the block, 3, and curved with a same radius, the center of curvature of said face, 9, being at the same distance from the aXis of the shaft as the center of curvature of said abrupt end of the notch, 3, so that when a tumbler passes out of one of the pockets, 9, into the notch, 3 it may become engaged and fit between the said concave face,9 at the corner'o'fa pocket and'the concavely curved abrupt end, 3*, of the notch, as seen in Fig. 2, and by this means the tumblers serveas locking means to permit the rotation of the drum in one direc-' tion, and to lock it against rotation in the opposite direction.

Upon the inner face of the cupped front member, 1, of the casing, there 'is soldered concentrically therewith a cuppedcollar, 8,

centrally apertured to receive the end ofthe shaft, 4, whereby said collar becomes the bearing for that end ofthe shaft. The'cylindrical flange, 8, of this cupped collar encompasses the hub, 6*, of thedrumythe interior diameter of thecollar beingenough greater than the outer diameter of the hub to afford space between the'two to accommodate the end of the spring, 10, the said flange of the cupped collar being notched at 8 to'receivethe spring which is folded back upon itself at its inner end so that an extreme end portion, 10, stands between the hub, 6 ,and the said flange 8 of the cupped collar, as seen in Fig. 3, and thus the said cupped collar constitutes the means for-securing the inner end of the spring, 10,'to the casing. For securingthe outer end of the spring to the barrel, the blank for forming the web,6,is made witharadially projectingtongue or finger, 6 and the metal of'the web is severed for a short distance inward of its circumferenceat each side of the finger so that said finger may befolded up at right angles'to the plane ofthe web at the inner end of the slits, andthereby it is caused to project from the web at a distance inward from the circumference of the latter a little greater than the thickness of the spring, said finger being in length substantially equal to the width ofthe spring and serving as a means of hitching to the drum the outer end of the spring which is folded inward upon itself to format hook, 10 for engagement of the finger as seen in Fig. 3. v I

11 is the chain which is wound in upon the channeled periphery, 5, of the barrel. For engaging it with the drumthe latter is provided with an aperture, 5,at the bottom of its channel, adjacent to one of its fianges,

V and the blank from which the web, '6, of

the drum is formedhas in additiontothe finger, 6, another finger, 6 which in the blank projects radially, and in the completed drumis folded so as-to project transversely V of the web just inside the inner circumfen' 1 ence ofthe channeled periphery member, 5, of the barrel across the aperture, 5. This fingerwill be sufficiently flexible so that it can be sprung inward to uncover the aperture, 5, and permit an end link of the chain inserted through said aperture, 5", to be hooked onto the finger, thus securing the chain to the barrel. To provide space in which this finger, 6 may protrude past the aperture, 5, the plate, 9,is cut awayatits 9 the cavity,'thus made, beinglarge enough for convenient manipulation of the finger, 6 of the chain, and" engaging the latter with the former. From the barrel the chain runs out through an aperture, '1', in the cy-v periphery for a short distance, as'shown at toadjust the position of the plate, 9,=aloout the aXis'to properly :relate the position of the pockets, 9, to the point at which the chain is hitched-to the "barrel; and for this purpose the recess, 9, in the periphery of the plate, 9, is extended somewhat circumferentially as shown in Fig. 2. V

12 represents'apin of common form for securing the device to the garment of the user. For attaching this pinreadily to the back plate, 2, of thecasingythelatter has struck out from its substance, 'thr'ee stapleformedloops, 2, 2 and 2 ,'offset-sufficiently from the outer surface of thesplate to'admit through them outside said outer surface, the back bar, 12 ,'of the'pin,and to adapt said back bar to be*thus inseited itIis formed from a blank, "as seen in Fig. 2, having at one end two laterally-projecting lugs, 12*, which are folded-upopposite-each other to receive between them theapivoted endof-the pin. V The "other end of-said back bar is formed suitably to constitute the hook, 12, for engaging the point of the pin. Thelugs,

l2 ,'may be folded up and the pin secured betweenthem'beforeit is applied to the reel,

and the back bar being theninsertedthrough the loops, 2, 2 and2 ,'in the order :named, and protruding below the last mentioned loop the full extent of the portion of its length which-comprises the hook,l 12 said protruding portion may be folded up below said last mentioned loop and thereby the pin is secured upon the back plate.

I claim 1. In a chain reel device, in combination with a casing, comprising a front plate and a back plate adapted to be engaged with each other; bearing members mounted rigidly on the inner faces of the front and back plates, respectively, said bearing members having journal bearings alined with each other; a chain-drum and a spring which re sists its rotation in one direction, said drum having a peripheral chain-channel and a web medially situated in respect to the width of said channel, and a journal to which said web extends and is rigidly secured, the j ournal being mounted rotatably in said bearings, whereby one of said journal bearings may be extended along the journal substantially to the web.

2. In a chain reel, in combination with a casing comprising a front plate and a back plate, adapted to be engaged with each other; bearing members mounted rigidly on said front and back plates, respectively,hav ing journal bearings alined with each other; a chain-drum comprising a peripheral chainchannel; a web medially situated with respect to the channel and a central hub portion extending off one side of the web, concentric with the chain-drum journal; a ournal member to which said web extends and to which it is secured by said hub extending there-along, the journal member being mounted rotatably in said bearing members,

one of said bearing members being in cup form having its flange extending concentrically about the drum hub, and the other being extended along said journal member substantially to said medial web; a helical spring connected at its inner end to and adapted to be coiled about said cup flange in the annular space at one side of the web, and having its outer end connected to the drum, and a locking device situated at the opposite side of the web in the annular space between the chain channel and the hearing at that side.

8. In a chain reel, in combination with a cupped casing member having a centrally seated cup-shaped shaft bearing and having its cup flange provided with a notch, a chain drum having its shaft mounted in said bearing and comprising a peripheral member for winding the chain, a hub portion fast on the shaft, and a web connecting them, the flange of the shaft bearing being substantially larger than the hub and thus inclosing an annular space around said hub, and a spring coiled about said cupped bearing adj acent to the web having its outer end engaged with the drum and its inner end hooked into the said notch with the end of the hook occupying the said annular space.

4:. In an eye-glass holder in combination with a casing comprising front and back spring located at that side of the web in-the annular space between said hub and the drum periphery, and means by which said spring is connected at the inner end to the bearing member and at the outer end to the drum, the bearing member at the other side of the web being extended along the journal member substantially to said web, and having a peripheral notch; a member located in the annular space at that side of the web between said bearing member and the drum periphery and rigid with the drum; said member having a slot in its inner circumference opening toward the periphery of the bearing member, and a tumbler element located in the slot and adapted to enter the notch in the periphery of the bearing member.

5. In an eye-glass holder, the combination of a back plate, a cup-shaped member secured to the same and co-acting therewith to provide an inclosure, a notched bearing member secured to the inner portion of the back plate, a bearing member secured to the inner portion of the cup, a reel having a portion rotatably mounted within both of said bearing members, and a spring which resists its rotation in one direction, a slotted element on the reel adapted to travel adjacent to the periphery of the notched bearing member, and a tumbler element within the slot of the slotted member serving to co-act with the notch of the notched member for locking purposes, substantially as described.

6. In an eye-glass holder, the combination of a casing comprising a front plate and a back plate adapted to be engaged with each other having, respectively, fixed shaft bearings which are alined with each other when the casing members are assembled, a drum for the chain comprising a peripheral por tion for winding the chain, a hub portion having rigidly extending journals at either side rotatably mounted in the bearings of the casing members, respectively, and a web portion connecting said hub with the peripheral portion intermediate the width of the latter, a spring coiled about one of said fixed bearings adjacent to said web of the drum and having its inner end engaged with said bearing'and its outer end engaged with the drum, the other shaft bearing havinga peripheral notch, an annular lock plate fixed -in-the drum at the other side of its web sur- Copies ofthis patent-maybeobtainedfor five cents eachtby-addre'ssing the flommissioner of Patents, 7

pocket and adapted to pass therefrom into the notch for locking the reel against rotation in the casing. a 7 a In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my'han'd at Chicago, Illinois, this 6th day of 15 WashingtomD: C. 

